Now, some months ago I posted about my dear Jackie absconding. Things have gotten much better, and he can even spend short periods out and about off lead now, as long as I don't push it. His recall is also much better. Today wasn't about recall. I had a 10 O'clock meeting today in town, where I couldn't bring him along. Dad was off working on the car, and mom was sleeping when I left, so I told Jackie to mind the house like I always do when he can't join me, and left. Two hours later I return home only to discover he had been missing for an hour (at least!) already, apparently having figured out the trick to opening the front door that I foolishly left unlocked. My dad returned home from the mechanics to find the door ajar, and mom sleeping peacefully, Jackie gone. We spent the next two hours frantically combing the countryside for him, circling the area and questioning neighbors, until finally at 14 I got a phone call. Two nice elderly ladies had spotted him out by a major road and had managed to get him in their garage. He was more than 4 miles off the beaten path, in the opposite direction of where we usually walk. If the nice ladies hadn't called, who knows what might have happened. He was cheerful when I went to pick him up, and really tired when we got home. Sorry, this was mostly just to share my fear and frustration with people who would understand my panic. I've bought him a GPS tracker to attach to his collar so I can find him if/when this happens again. I guess the only other thing I can do is make sure to lock the door when I leave, even if someone is home if they aren't awake.
Oh my what a horrible experience! So glad you got him back safely. The GPS tracker sounds like a good idea, although hopefully you will not have to use it.
Sorry about Jack, you must of been worried and very upset. Glad things went well though and thank heavens for the old ladies. Great idea about the GPS tracker.
So glad he's safely home. Tuppence can open doors too, so I have to ensure that outside doors are always kept locked.
So glad he's ok. Stanley is another door opener and I'm always really paranoid about the outside doors and the back gate. They're far too clever for their own good.
Oh heavens , that must have been an awful time , thank goodness for the kind folk who took him to safety , and a happy ending x
I absolutely feel your pain. I too have an absconder, luckily he usually roams our nearby fields, but kind people in the village have brought him back a couple of times. Everytime he does it, I feel this huge anxiety, and always fear the worst. The dog warden knows me by name and knows Casper, which isn't actually a bad thing. That reminds me must give him a call. I also have been looking into trackers, but I guess the day I forget to put one on is the day he lets himself out again!
The tracker I bought clips on the collar and has a battery life of 2 - 5 days. As long as I remember to charge it with my phone at the end of the day, I think I'll be fine. I am starting to consider having a stash of reward-chocolate for the people who grab him when he absconds.
Oh my gosh what a shock! Glad he is back ok. Thank goodness for kind ladies - I have been that person myself, once stopped an elderly and very thirsty black labrador bitch in our road, took her in to our garden, and called the organization that has the phone numbers for the tracker number on her collar. Her owners were soooo happy!
Good grief! Such a worry - I can imagine how frantic you must have been. I lost Lilly once in the woods for over 3/4 of an hour, not nearly the same situation as yourself, but gives me some perspective. Hope your day goes a bit better from now in x
Oh heavens! You must have been frantic, searching for him. Definitely make sure to lock the doors with Houdini in the house.
Tracker is a good idea. I bought it myself for Kona as I fear that if she would wonder off she wouldn't approach unknown person, or worse - she would bark and someone could comprehend it wrong and try to hurt her.
Phew! I once lost Boogie (who I name myself after) it was 40 years ago but I still remember the feeling! We searched all afternoon until it was dark, then went back to the car in tears. There he was, sitting by the car! Hhh
When I finally found moo after looking for her for nearly 2 hours I didn't want her back. I got a call from a local school to collect her. She been helping the kids to eat their sweets and playing with them a teacher had caught her she was covered from head to toe on one side in human poo. The teacher didn't mention the poo so neither did i. Moo was very tired and pleased to see me she wanted to go home
My gosh, good thing you are young, that heart in your mouth (or sometimes it goes to your stomach) isn't good for a person's health. Glad all is right, now.
You may have to dog proof your door handles. My Sister-in-law has a small version of a Plot Hound that opens doors, even ones with round handles. She has to use bungee cords or lock the doors to keep Asia in the house. Our Labs are the opposite. we have 30" pet play pen that we have re-purposed as a gate across the entry to our front porch. Either dog could push it down, and Cooper could clear it like a deer, but she doesn't. They sit quietly on the front porch and watch the neighborhood.
Friends of mine put their door handles on upside-down to Lab-proof them. It didn't work - he sussed that in about ten minutes. I always thought door knobs would be pretty dog-proof.
Soooo, my escape artist was at it again yesterday. It was my second to youngest nephews birthday, and we were invited to a small get together. I decided not to bring Jackie, because they have two small black dogs that he has never met, and he has shown signs of fear every time he sees a small black dog. Also, my sister's father in law was going to be there, and while he loves his dogs and dogs in general, he is of the old school of thought, i.e. smack them if they don't behave. I didn't want Jackie exposed to that. So we locked him securely in the house, gps transponder on, and left. The transponder had some weird malfunctions as we were leaving, placing him suddenly in town, quite far away and impossible for him to get there in that period of time, so when it kept placing him outside the house, I assumed it was just a malfunction. An hour after we got to my sister's house, I get a call; "are you missing a dog by any chance?" Turns out he really had escaped the house, via the heavy firedoor to the furnace room that we'd forgotten to lock. I've asked my sister to bring her dogs over so they can meet Jackie and this situation doesn't repeat, but that doesn't really solve anything.
